PROGRESS IN STATE FORESTRY LEGISLATION 



PKUBABl.V never in the history of this country 

 has there been such marked interest in forest pres- 

 ervation by State legislators as at the present time, re- 

 port oflkers of the Forest Service, United Sutes De- 

 partment of Agriculture. No less than 33 States have 

 now provided for some sort of forestry activities and 

 25 of these share in the Federal co-operative forest 

 protection fund, allotted to States maintaining an ef- 

 fective fire detection and suppression system. Two 

 others have applied recently for such assistance. Public 

 backing of the movement to preserve the remaining 

 forests from destruction by fire, and to put idle forest 

 lands to work growing trees, is becoming widespread, 

 and the effects of the popular demand for action is 

 shown clearly in the State laws passed this year. 



I'ennsylvania, under the direction of Giflford Pin- 

 chot, the new Commissioner of Forestry, leads all 

 States in forest activities. The biennial appropriation 

 passed by the legislature and approved by the Gov- 

 ernor carried $1,870,000, an increase of $863,300 over 

 the appropriation of 1919; $1,000,000 of the total is for 

 fire protection. The legislature also passed an act em- 

 powering the Federal Government to acquire lands on 

 the watersheds of navigable streams within the State, 

 by purchase or condemnation, and to control and reg- 

 ulate such reserves. 



The Minnesota Legislature was more generous with 

 the State Forestry Board than ever before. A total of 

 $275,500 for general forestry work was appropriated 

 for the next two years, of which $125,000 a year is for 

 fire protection. The last named sum was augmented 

 by an additional allotment of $44,000 from the State 

 Board of Relief. For the equipment of a flying field 

 near the Twin Cities, $45,000 was voted. This provi- 

 sion was to meet the offer of the Federal Government 

 to furnish the service of 12 planes if the necessary 

 hangars and flying field were provided. While the 

 primary purpose of this agreement is to supply aerial 

 mail communication, the planes will be able also to 

 render effective service in "spotting" forest fires. 



In California, where there has been much favorable 

 sentiment toward forestry for many years, the legis- 

 lature voted a substantial increase in appropriation 

 for the State Board of Forestry, for the biennial period 

 beginning July 1. For the prevention and suppression 

 of fires $75,000 was appropriated; for general admin- 

 istration, $27,000; for a study of watershed areas, 

 $10,000, and to establish and maintain State forest 

 nurseries, $35,000. The legislature also voted $300,000 

 for the purchase of redwood timberland for park pur- 

 poses along the State Highwa'y in Mendocino, and 

 Humboldt counties, the area to be administered by the 

 State Board of Forestry. 



Other important State forestry legislation passed 

 this year was as follows : 



Bills for the compulsory teaching of fire prevention 



in public schools were passed by California, Rhode 

 Island, and West Virginia. A similar measure was 

 passed by the New York Legislature but vetoed by the 

 (Governor. New Jersey already has such a law. 



Maine increased the annual tax on land within the 

 forestry district from 1% to 21/i mills on the dollar, 

 tiie taxes thus collected to be used exclusively for pro- 

 tection from fire of the forests within the district; 

 provided for the creation and management of State 

 forests, acquired bj^ purchase or gift, by the State For- 

 ester; adopted improved means for controlling the dis- 

 posal of lumbering slash, and the encouragement of 

 timberland owners to practice forestry on their lands 

 through a concession in taxation. 



Ohio passed a forest-fire law and appropriated $5,000 

 a year for two years for the prevention and suppression 

 of fires; also made an appropriation for the purchase 

 of lands for State forests. 



Tennessee passed a general forestry bill and appro- 

 priated $10,000 for fire protection and $7,500 for gen- 

 eral forestry purposes. 



North Carolina increased the State appropriation for 

 forest protection from $3,800 to $9,000. 



In Louisiana provision for State control of all nat- 

 ural resources, including forests, was provided for by 

 Constitutional Convention held early this year. 



In New Hampshire provisions were made for leaving 

 seed trees on cut-over pine lands, for redistricting of 

 the State for forest-fire purposes, and for compulsory 

 forest fire-patrol on large timberland holdings. 



Connecticut provided for reorganizing the State 

 forestry administration and protection work, and for 

 more liberal appropriations. 



Several of the other State legislatures have also had 

 forestry questions under consideration, which have 

 made for progress, even where, as in Florida, no def- 

 inite legislative enactment took place. 



The Georgia Legislature, has passed a bill providing 

 for the appointment of a board to investigate the forest 

 conditions of the State and to report legislation neces- 

 sary to solve the forest problem. At the recent meeting 

 of the Southern Forestry Congress, in Atlanta, it was 

 shown that the lumber cut of Georgia has decreased 33 

 1-3 per cent in the past 10 years, while the production 

 of turpentine and rosin has fallen off 75 per cent. In the 

 opinion of foresters, Georgia will soon take a place with 

 the Carolinas as an insignificant producer of naval stores. 



In only one State, West Virginia, was the forestry 

 situation given anything like a setback. In that State, 

 in reorganizing the forest, game and fish department, 

 forestry was at first entirely eliminated and then, just 

 l)efore passage, an optional provision was included in 

 the fish and game bill, by which the new commission 

 can, if it wishes, expend not to exceed a fourth of its 

 appropriations for forest protection. 



